Ever since I was little, I've been fascinated by the office of the presidency of the United States. The institution of the presidency is an incredible one because it is an awesome force that can be used for incredible good or incredible bad. There is tremendous power over the globe centralized into the hands of one individual.
Our country's best presidents were those who utilized this power to maximize good for citizens around the world, whether it was Abraham Lincoln, signing the Emancipation Proclamation and ultimately backing the abolition of slavery, or FDR, marshaling through Congress the New Deal and leading the U.S. to an Allied victory in World War II. The worst presidents did precisely the opposite: using the powers of the office for personal satisfaction or being terribly incompetent in management of the executive branch. These include Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's horrid successor who opposed the constitutional amendments that outlawed slavery and advanced equal protection, and notably, our current self-obsessed president, Donald Trump.
For better and for worse, the power of the presidency has only expanded over time, in both domestic and foreign affairs. In the domestic arena, the president's authority to sign executive orders, faithfully execute federal laws, and set the agenda through the power of the 'bully pulpit' gives them enormous advantages over the other branches of government. In foreign affairs, the president's expansive power as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, combined with their stature as the representative of the United States to the global stage, is continuously growing.
Given these realities, it is incumbent upon a president to use this awesome power for good. Exercising such a mission should mean fulfilling one of the core promises of the preamble of the United States Constitution: using the power of the federal government to "promote the general welfare" of the people. In the end, this notion is tied to the question that presidents should ask themselves upon leaving office: how did I use the power when I had it?
It is a privilege to wield the unimaginable power of the presidency and it should be the duty of each president to be able to answer that question in a way that indicates they did what they could to sizably, materially improve the lives of Americans, and people around the world, for better.
It is often debated whether presidents make history or whether history makes the president. Those presidents who have used the power of the office to maximize good, and to expand opportunity and prosperity, have been the ones who have helped shape and make history. Those presidents, the ones who exceeded observers' expectations, are the truly great presidents.
These presidents that go above and beyond the call of duty in "promoting the general welfare" are the ones historians ought to hold in high esteem. Consider FDR's example as he was elected in 1932 to enact emergency, temporary public works spending and even campaigned on deficit reduction. Roosevelt though decided he wanted to change the course of history and fundamentally reshape the social safety net. He created Social Security and the National Labor Relations Board, among a slew of massive progressive reforms that continue to define our domestic social welfare structure. FDR recognized that history's call beckoned him to show boldness that would have a lasting effect for generations.
Lincoln, similarly, acted beyond his mandate to demonstrate necessary, transformative leadership in the country's most perilous hours. When Lincoln was elected, there was no expectation that he would ever endorse the abolition of slavery. During the 1860 campaign, he advocated merely for halting the expansion of slavery; he was even, at one time, a supporter of the racist American Colonization Society which called for black Americans to be sent to Africa. In the aftermath of the Civil War, Lincoln, despite a difficult reelection campaign in 1864, endorsed a constitutional amendment to outlaw slavery and he helped see this goal through in 1865. He rose to the occasion when the moment called for it and set the stage for the emergence of a fairer and more democratic country.
It should go without saying that none of these displays of presidential leadership would be possible without the persistent activism of an engaged citizenry. It is also incumbent upon us, as participants in a vibrant democracy, to use our own tremendous power as voters and as activists to demand courage from our leaders.
Ultimately, we are a better country today because of these past successes. We need bold, activist leadership from the presidency and engagement from the public for the sake of the prosperity of all. In the long run, both the country, and the legacy of a president who answers the call for using power for maximum good, will be stronger because of it. Happy Presidents' Day!
MY RANKINGS:
TEN BEST PRESIDENTS (starting with the best):
1. Abraham Lincoln
2. Franklin D. Roosevelt
3. George Washington
4. Theodore Roosevelt
5. Barack Obama
6. Lyndon B. Johnson
7. Thomas Jefferson
8. John F. Kennedy
9. Harry Truman
10. Dwight Eisenhower
TEN WORST PRESIDENTS (starting with the worst):
1. Andrew Johnson
TEN WORST PRESIDENTS (starting with the worst):
1. Andrew Johnson
2. Donald Trump
3. James Buchanan
4. Franklin Pierce
5. Millard Fillmore
6. George W. Bush
7. Warren G. Harding
8. Calvin Coolidge
9. John Tyler
10. Herbert Hoover
